Muddy matters

Our correspondent tries his hand at making clay statues and learns it is not easy to crack the mould

Our correspondent tries his hand at making clay statues and learns it is not easy to crack the mould
I vividly remember my initial brush with mud and plasticine in primary school8212;the teacher giving out clear instructions in class on how to mould plasticine into an elephant-like shape. What I finally managed was far from resembling any animal. The prospect of giving the shapeless a concerete form still fascinates me. So when I see Hari Om of Sarojini Nagar working at those wonderful small idols of Lord Ganesha, Durga, Jesus Christ and Laxmi, I decided to take a few lessons from him8212;one last attempt to master this enviable skill.

My tutor is a man of few words. He is too engrossed in his work. The camera or the idea of making it to the newspaper doesn8217;t interest him. He directs me to a stool beside his place of work. As I take a seat, he shows me lumps of mud kept in a bag. 8220;This is clayey mud that you get along ponds and rivers only,8221; he explains.

The initial step is to make a proportionate mixture of mud and water. As I try my hands at it, pouring almost the entire jug of water into the bowl of mud, Hari glares before saying, 8220;Aise to nahin banegi murti.8221; He then pours water gradually and mixes the mud to make a uniform mixture.

8220;So how do I know the mud is wet enough?8221; He shows me how to roll up the mud in the hand. 8220;When it doesn8217;t stick to your palm completely, nor slips past, you know it8217;s the right texture.8221;

I try this a couple of times8212;pouring a little water, then mixing it with the mud and then feeling the mud. The seemingly simple next step which involves stuffing the mud into a mould of Ganesh also gives me the jitters. 8220;So how much mud should I exactly stuff into the cast, what if it sticks to it and I can8217;t bring out the idol?8221; I ask.

The veteran is a little amused at my questions. I try and follow his curt instructions. To reduce the stickiness of the mud and prevent ruptures once it dries, I make elongated rolls of lumps of mud in the marble slab. As I8217;m about to embark on this project enthusiastically, Hari cautions me, 8220;First, apply stone powder to the slab, or else most of the mud will stick to it.8221;

I succeed in making lumps of mud and then flatten them on the slab. This is followed by stuffing the soft mud into the mould of Ganesh. 8220;Stuff it in such a way that there is a protrusion at the back of the cast, and a slight bulge at the bottom,8221; Hari says. I follow him as he runs me through the process. While he does it with a practiced hand, I have great difficulty in getting the bulge; it8217;s either too big or too small. With some help from Hari, I level it to the exact shape. He applies slight pressure with his thumb to the bottom of the idol in making.

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8220;So it8217;s over?8221; I say, breathing a sigh of relief. He points out to the numerous irregularities on the surface of the idol and at the base. 8220;Level it,8221; he says as he hands me a sharp pen knife. I do it with utmost care, trying to avoid upsetting the shape of the idol.

Now comes the final stage of bringing out the prepared idol from the cast of Plaster of Paris. 8220;Observe me,8221; he exerts a slight pressure with his index finger to the top of the murti and then slowly takes it out of the mould.

I pray earnestly to God that this time I can imitate his actions flawlessly. I bring out the idol from the mould, and just when it seems like I8217;ve perfected his art, Hari points out to something. The small rat at Lord Ganesh8217;s feet8212;it has come off8212;is left behind in the mould. I feel not so much dejected as humbled, as the layman is when he perceives the greatness of the artist.